As more and more people realize the benefits of regular exercise, exercise devices become more and more popular. Accordingly, the art now includes a wide variety of exercise devices. Some of these devices are quite simple, such as simple dead weights, and some of these devices are quite complex, such as the large machines that are intended to exercise a variety of muscles.
One form of exercise device that has been known for some time is the chest pull type device in which the user grasps a handle in at least one hand and pulls against tension. Such devices have been used to exercise chest muscles, back muscles and the like. Accordingly, the art has included several such devices.
While somewhat effective, these devices still have several drawbacks and shortcomings which vitiate the full and effective use thereof. For example, these devices are generally not amenable to easily providing a variety of different tensions so that a user is thus limited in the amount and type of exercise that can be performed.
Still further, these devices have several non-exercise related factors that further limit the use of such devices. For example, many present devices are not shaped to distribute force in a manner that provides comfort to the user's hands or feet during use. Accordingly, the use of these devices may be limited by the hand or foot fatigue or discomfort or by the device's inability to remain comfortably in place on a user's hand or foot, rather than muscle fatigue as should be the case. Still further, many of the present devices often irritate a user's skin during use due to frictional contact, as when the device is stretched across the user's back. Such irritation may limit the use of the device thereby, again, affecting the use rather than muscle fatigue.
Such non-muscle exercising factors should not limit an exercise routine if an exercise device is to be totally effective and efficient.
Yet another drawback of the present devices is the possibility of sudden failure. For example, should the spring element on some devices partially separate from the handle, such separation may create forces that tend to cause total separation of the spring from the handle in a sudden manner. Such sudden failure is not desirable.
Yet a further drawback of many presently available exercise devices is the bulky nature thereof. The springs are bulky and the handles are stiff. This makes the device "gym bound", that is, the device is not readily packed, stored, and transported in a suitcase or in a briefcase or the like. Such "gym bound" nature prevents a user from taking the device on trips whereby such trips may interrupt the user's exercise routines. As is well known, exercise produces best results if carried out on a regular basis. The "gym bound" nature of such devices inhibits such routines.
Accordingly, there is a need for a hand-held tension-type exercise device which is comfortable to use, can have the force distribution pattern thereof easily altered, yet should it partially fail, it is not likely to fail in a total manner, and is easily packed, stored and transported in a small case.